Made of Steel
by u33js0
Summary: Ash Ketchum has returned home from his first journey. Armed with a wealth of knowledge, he is ready to take the next step in becoming a master. What adventures await this young man are yet to be seen, but with his loyal team by his side, nothing will stop him in achieving his goal!
1. Chapter 1: Home

I don't own Pokemon

"Mom! I'm home!" 16-year-old Ash Ketchum yelled as he entered his Pallet Town home for the first time in well over a year. It was just as he remembered, in perfect condition and not an ornament out of place. He followed the smell of homemade cooking, pancakes if he was correct, and found the sight of his mother humming along to the radio having clearly not heard his introductions.

She hadn't aged a day since his travels began. His mother had long brown hair that was neatly tied into a bun. Soft features lined her face and she looked at least 10 years younger than her actual age. She was wearing a light pink blouse with a white apron draped over it which covered her dark trousers. She continued to be lost in her own world, humming along to the tune on the radio.

Ash smiled at the scene in front of him, naturally strumming the 6 pokeballs that lined his belt before deciding to cough loudly, startling his mother in the process before he was quickly enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

"ASHY!" Delia, his mother yelled out before finally releasing him from the bearhug. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks as she clasped her hands and begun giving him a once over.

"Oh Ashy, you have grown up so much, just look at you, so big and strong!" His mother stated before continuing to examine him for any bumps or bruises.

Indeed, Ash had grown up. No longer was he a scrawny, small teenager, instead was a man with a lean but muscular frame, standing at 6-foot-tall with an air of confidence surrounding him. His travels and training had aided him well. An easy smile slipped on to his face as he continued to watch his mother examine him. His black mane was cut short, much less messy than when he started his journey and without the hat he started with. A tightly fit white tee aligned his top half with his signature blue jacket over it. On his lower was again tightly fitted navy jeans with brand new white trainers on his feet. Ash had made sure to wash himself extensively before arriving home, knowing full well how much his mother would fuss over him.

Ash, seeing that his mother had stopped said fussing, popped his Silph Co. rucksack onto the kitchen counter and begun rummaging around for two small spherical items. He switched their settings to open and placed them on the ground. The devices quickly expanded to reveal a gold medal and an impressive shiny trophy.

"Look what I brought back mom!" Ash said giddily. External communications from Unova weren't the greatest and although he updated his mother as best as he could, mostly via email on his Pokedex, he thought that he would surprise her with the result of the Vertress Conference.

Ash watched as his mother's eyes practically bugged out from her sockets. A large grin split her face and before Ash had time to prepare, he was caught in another bone crushing hug. He swore that at least one of his ribs had been broken before his mother released him again.

"No way! Ashy, you won?" Delia practically yelped out. Ash, now matching a grin as large as his mother's simply nodded. Sure, he could have told her, but this reaction was definitely worth the wait. Ash in fact hadn't told anyone about his rookie achievements, not Gary, not even Professor Oak. Add all this to the fact that the Vertress Conference wasn't broadcasted outside of Unova made it relatively easy to keep his achievements hush hush.

"How? Rookies never win in their first year. It's unheard of isn't it?" Was his mother's next response. He wasn't too surprised by the question. He kept his mother up to date on his team and his travels, but she had never seen him or his companions battle. She knew he was good but even his mother never expected this.

"I guess you're right." Ash replied to his mother. "I had a lot of luck in finding my team. Also running into the right teachers helped greatly. I certainly wouldn't have won the conference without Riley's help and guidance. But mostly I didn't have any distractions. My team and I trained and trained until we could train no more. When we weren't training our bodies, we were training our minds. I've learnt so much in such a short period of time Mom. You wouldn't believe it!" He finished before taking a deep, fresh breath.

His mother just nodded at Ash's response. A slight hint of worry expressed across her soft features and Ash seen the outline of a frown. Ash could tell that she did not expect quite the emotional response. It was all true though. He was very aware that he had sacrificed quite a lot in such a short space of time.

Ash wanted to make the most of Unova while he had the chance. He had been begging Professor Oak for a steel type as his starter for years and had extensively searched which regions could allow him to obtain a full team of his favourite type. Unova was one few that could and toppled with the region's mystique made Ash want to go there first.

He thought that wherever he travelled next would be less sacrificial. He had made a family which had the foundations for future success and that he could build on that foundation at his own pace. Ash still had major goals that he wanted to achieve but was fully aware that no matter how much he and his team pushed that they would need to be patient.

"Anyway, I'm home now Mom. It's time to put our feet up for a bit and relax. My team has certainly earned it." Ash declared trying to get onto a new topic quickly. "How have things been here in Pallet Town since I've been gone? Did you make sure the good professor kept up his appetite?" Ash asked trying to lighten up the mood.

His mother brightened up at the question, clasping her hands in fondness of both Pallet Town and Professor Oak. "Oh, nothing much, Pallet Town has been as quiet as ever, although the professor's lab has been as busy as I have ever seen it. From what Samuel has told me they have taken on quite a few Silph Co. projects and topped up with all the work he does for the league has made the lab extremely busy. It's been great for the restaurant though!" His mother stated. "I've had to hand deliver quite a few lunches and dinners over the last few months." She finished with a fond chuckle.

Ash could only imagine Professor Oak not leaving his work place and staying up to god knows what hour. The old man was far too devoted for his own good. It was a genuine question about his mother having to feed him. There had been more than one occasion where Professor Oak had forgotten to eat.

"And have you heard anything from Gary? He wasn't too happy that I went off to Unova if I remember rightly." Ash asked of his long-term friend and rival. He was generally interested to hear how Gary's achievements matched up to his own. Unova was a well-respected league, if not a bit lax on who they employed, but due to the region keeping themselves to themselves no one quite knew how they measured up to rest of the world. There wasn't any documented matches between Unovan trainers and those of interest that Ash remembered on the top of his head.

"Oh, he did quite wonderful honey, not as good as you I might add but he was positioned in the Top 8. Professor Oak was very pleased with his performances." His mother finished.

"And his team?" Ash enquired, curiosity getting the better of him. The Top 8 of the Indigo Conference was very respectable for any trainer, never mind a rookie. Gary looked like he would be worth a battle after all.

"Now let me think!" Delia stated, her soft features turning into a frown as she tried to remember Gary's team. "I believe he has a Blastoise, an Alakazam, an Arcanine and a Umbreon. Those are the ones I remember anyway." His mother finished, although she looked to be still racking her brain for more of his Pokemon.

That was a formidable four. He would naturally struggle against Arcanine, although he had procedures in place to placate fire types. He felt like he had a counter to Blastoise, Alakazam and Umbreon though. He was also sure if there was one person who wouldn't be caught out by his slightly exotic team that it would be Gary. He always was a no it all.

"So how was Unova Ashy? I know you kept me up to date on your travels but it's so hard to dissect it through text. Did you meet anyone nice? Any girls I should know of?" His mother asked, bringing Ash out of his trance and jerking his head in her direction. "Other than this Riley person, you haven't really mentioned any names."

That was true. Unova, although a great experience, was rather lonely in the human sense. It was what Ash wanted though. No distractions. Just him and his Pokemon. Sure, he had met some people. The gym leaders were wise, well some of them more than others and it wasn't like he was a complete hermit either. He spoke to fellow trainers in Pokemon centres all the time.

So, Ash started this conversation carefully, fully aware that his mother was judging his answer. "To be honest Mom, I didn't really come across too many interesting people. Some of the gym leaders were kind of cool, if not weird, not that any great trainer isn't. It's a beautiful land though, you would love it."

"It wasn't all good mind you!" Ash added as he looked at his mother. "We got ourselves in some sticky situations, as any trainer would I imagine. Let's just say not everyone in Unova has the best intentions and even some trainers who are trusted by the league have _questionable_ ethics."

"But other than traversing the landscape, seeing so many new and exciting Pokemon and training with Riley for a few months, not a lot else happened, certainly no girls Mom!"

Ash looked to his mother again to see if she had any more questions, when she didn't Ash offered one last smile. "I'm going to unpack and find a place for these two!" Ash said pointing down to the gold medal and trophy. "I think I'll head over to Professor Oak's and see what the old man has been up to. What time do you want me back?"

His mother gave him a soft smile before replying. "Dinner will be ready by 7. Grab some pancakes before you head out, you must be starving!"

Ash smiled again before nodding to his mother, grabbing his prized possessions before heading upstairs to his bedroom. Again, it was just how remembered. Not a sighting of dust to be seen. He placed the gold trophy on his mantle place before looping the medal around it. He peered over his prize again, the number one etched on both the medal and the trophy with VERTRESS CONFERENCE CHAMPION emblazoned front and centre of the latter. He was extremely proud.

Ash again strummed the pokeballs that lined his belt before casually picking off the one closest to his hip. He slowly examined the wear and tear of the luxury ball, he made sure all his team had one, before releasing his friend.

What emerged from the luxury ball was a bipedal, canine-like Pokemon, with blue and black fur. It stood at just shy of 6-foot-tall, large for its kind. Short, round spikes protruded on each paw, with a third on its cream chest. Its red eyes stared at Ash before they closed and the Pokemon dipped its head in a manner of respect which Ash mimicked. The Pokemon, a male, swished its tail now that the customary greeting was finished and waited on instruction.

"Lucario, do you remember this room? This is home, at least for me. We left here over a year ago to start our journey together. You were just a little Riolu and I was a mere boy. We've come a long way, haven't we?" Ash said to his first friend.

You never forget the day you receive your first Pokemon and start your journey. Across all the major regions that happens at quarterly intervals over a calendar year once you turn 15 years of age and have passed the Pokemon Trainer Exam (PTE).

The rules changed some time ago as more and more children were getting severely injured or killed as they left on their journey unprepared. In place was teaching with a thorough examination process to conclude. This consisted of five sections ranging from survivability to battling.

Trainers who passed the PTE where then given a Pokemon from the local gym, through sponsorship or if they or their family already had one.

Ash of course passed first time. Having the privilege to be partially taught by Professor Oak helped greatly. He knew from a young age that with his close links to the professor and his grandson Ash would be one of the few that would receive sponsorship from Oak Laboratory. He had begged the professor for a steel type ever since that realisation and when he opened up his pokeball to reveal his starter he could hardly believe his luck.

Lucario again nodded at Ash before lightly shoving his trainer as to say, 'of course I do you idiot'. Ash laughed at his starter's antics. He looked to Lucario again who seemed to be getting frustrated. Ash understood immediately what he was doing.

It is said in the Pokedex that Lucario can learn to use telepathy with humans. Ash and his Lucario had seen this first hand with Riley's own Lucario while they trained at Chargestone Cave, but they were yet to master the technique. Both human and Pokemon couldn't wait for that day to happen. It opened up so many extra possibilities and would not only bring the pair closer, but he would be able to have a deeper understand of the rest of his team's thinking. Not to mention having Lucario direct his thoughts to his team mates if they ever got into a heated situation.

"You'll get there soon buddy, just keep on working on what Riley taught you. Okay?" Ash directed to his Pokemon who nodded and begun taking a meditative stance. Ash soon followed suit. Riley, his first teacher had taught him and his team a lot. Not only in terms of Pokemon but opening his eyes up to the world. Riley was not only a steel type expert, hence how he bumped into him at Chargestone Cave were Ash met half of his team, but he was also training to be an Aura Guardian, something Ash had previously never heard of. Very few people come across aura naturally, the knowledge of it hidden away.

Supposedly anyone can harness aura, although certain people are far more equipped than others. Having a Pokemon, such as Lucario, helps immensely as they wield aura far more easily and as such can help teach others to do so. Aura, as Riley put it, is also unique, as it is an expression of the individual. Ash so far had the very limited basics down. Since his love of steel types was apparent, he was less flimsy and more robust compared to human without aura, but that was as far as he had gotten. In time, with Lucario's help, Ash hoped to be more advanced. Again, that was in the future.

After allowing Lucario a sufficient mediating period, Ash rose from the floor and addressed his Pokemon. "Lucario, I am going to head off shortly to catch up with Professor Oak at his lab. That is where we first met if you do not remember. We might also bump into Gary if he is around. Would you like to come along for the ride or continue meditating?" Ash already knew his answer. Lucario rarely left Ash's side, he was extremely loyal after all.

After getting a confirmation grunt, Ash quickly returned Lucario to his ball before heading out to traverse the gravel path up to the professor's lab, not before grabbing a few pancakes and stuffing them in his mouth. He would never let his mother's cooking go to waste.

XxXxXxX

Ash rounded the corner, hands in his pockets, were the sight of the white laboratory and windmill appeared. A fresh lick of paint look newly applied to keep up appearance and the sight of a few Pidgey nestled on top of the roof. Ash smiled at the scene before walking up to the front door which opened automatically.

He made his way through to the reception where he was greeted by the familiar smile of Grace, a woman in her early forties who had been working for the professor for as long as Ash could remember. She had short black hair that covered her ears and an angular face which highlighted her high cheek bones. Grace was wearing a white, partially buttoned shirt and you could see the outline of a black bra which held her cleavage in place. The rest of her body was covered by the desk she sat at, but Ash could hear the distinctive sound of high heels clicking off the tiled floor.

Ash took a moment to compose himself before smiling back at Grace and asking if the professor was about. "Ash, so good to see you again!" Grace replied. "Yes, he is in his office fiddling with one of the Silph Co. products, I think he would appreciate the break and seeing a familiar face. You know where to go!"

Ash nodded his thanks to Grace before heading to his right and towards the professor's office. It was a short walk and he reached the opened door to an extremely messy room littered with all sorts of plans. The sight in front of him was one to behold. Professor Oak, his grey hair in the same shape as normal with his tanned, wrinkled face deep in concentration as he twiddled with a device Ash didn't recognise. His famous white overcoat was draped over his red shirt. Ash watched his mentor for a while longer before highlighting his introductions.

"Hello Professor!" Ash said clearly as he leaned against the door frame. "Good to see you're not going slow in your old age!"

"Ah, Ash my boy. I can assure you I have many years left in this body of mine. It's good to see you again. It's been a while! Have a seat!" Professor Oak replied gesturing to the one the seats on the adjacent side of his desk. He continued to fiddle with the device for a moment more before lifting his head and giving Ash his full attention. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, nothing much, I just wanted to drop by and see one of my favourite people was all. I'm going to be home for a while now the Vertress Conference is finished, and I thought it be rude if I didn't pay my sponsor a visit." Ash replied, happy to be conversing with the professor again.

"Ah, yes. Delia did mention that you made it into the Vertress Conference, she didn't mention that you won the whole thing though. Very impressive. I had to piece that information together for myself!" The wise professor replied smugly, blowing Ash's surprise up in his face.

"How did you find out?" Ash asked disbelievingly, although he should have known someone like Professor Oak had contacts everywhere. "Unova is meant to have closed communications to the outside world!"

"I have my sources my boy, and the technology to greet them too. You should know that by now!" The professor replied, stifling a laugh at Ash's expression. "But I must say, I am very proud of what you have achieved. Going to Unova has served you well. From what I have garnered you have assembled quite the team, most of which I have yet to examine personally, although I don't know where you stand compared to trainers on this continent. Alakazam should be able fix that." As the professor mouthed his last word, a majestic and powerful humanoid Pokemon with a short moustache and silver spoons wielded in both hands appeared. Its predominantly yellow body was covered in brown armour over its chest, shoulders, forearms and knees.

"Stay still Ash! Alakazam here is going to peer into your mind so as I can get a read on your development as a trainer. It should only take a second!" The professor stated and Ash did as he told. Ash could feel Alakazam brush against his mind for just a split second before his senses returned to normal. Seconds later Alakazam teleported out of sight and presumably back to her sanctum.

"Hmmm, why you have grown strong my boy, stronger than what I initially thought. The professor said, beginning his assessment. "Most notable trainers on the main continent would be hard pressed to deal with your defensive abilities, toppled with some of the exotic Pokemon and typing you possess unless they were extremely well prepared. I would rank you a bit below master level, however you are well trained, and your team is powerful, but they need time to develop new techniques and gain experience." The professor finished, his features highlighting pride in what Ash had achieved.

"Thank you, professor, your too kind!" Ash replied, cheeks turning pink as he tried to act as humble as possible.

"Nonsense my boy, I'm just relaying what you could of already hazard a guess at." The professor replied. "I'm going to have to do my duty and update your trainer ID for the Indigo League records since you fall under their jurisdiction now. Make it fair for the opposition!" The professor finished with a wink.

"Only if you show it to me!" Ash replied. He had never seen a trainer portfolio before. It would be insightful reading, even if it was his own.

"That sounds fair I suppose!" The professor responded. "I will pass the file onto your Pokedex once it is completed. Since you're staying for a bit, would you be so kind to pass on a few of your team. I have never seen most of them in person. It will be truly fascinating."

"Of course, professor, anything to help you out!" Ash replied while simultaneously nodding in understanding. Professor Oak sent Ash a beaming white smile, clearly giddy at the prospect of analysing Unovan Pokemon up close and personal before Ash grabbed his attention by asking the question that had been on the tip of his tongue for a while. "Where's Gary? And how does his level compare to mine?"

"That's a good question Ash. He is about somewhere though. I think out back in the corral. I could call him if you like?" The professor replied to which Ash shook his head.

"No need Professor, I'll find him myself. I guess I'll also find out how good he is?" Ash stated, getting a nod and a tight-lipped smile from the professor.

"Thought so! Okay thanks professor. I'll be back soon, and I'll try not to wreck the corral while I'm at it!" Ash responded as he exited the office with a wave, leaving the door open. He wandered past the reception, giving Grace a smile in the process, before heading round to the back of the building to where the doors of the corral were held.

He opened the double doors and a flood of nostalgia hit him yet again. The grassy plains in front of him were the sight of some of his best childhood memories. Ash could make out the Nidoran heard grazing and the litter of Growlithe pups chasing an impressive Arcanine which could only be the professors. He could just about make out the forest in the back where he and Gary chased the roaming Pikachu all those years ago. He believed there was a large pond next to it if he was correct. A good a place as any to relax. He was about to release some of his team when an obnoxious voice pierced his ears.

"What's up loser?" A very familiar distinct sound rang through the air that could only belong to one person.

Gary Oak!

"Oh, not too much, just looking for you, Gare Bear!" Ash replied, a little bit of his childish impetuous coming out to play. A smile tugged at his lips. Some things never changed.

Ash turned to examine Gary as he brushed off the insult. He still had the same mane of brown hair. He wore the same dark blue top and although Ash had grown considerably in his travels, Gary still stood a couple inches taller than him at 6-foot-2. 6 pokeballs lined his belt and both trainers knew what was going to go down.

"1 vs 1! I don't have all day to battle a weakling like you, Ashley!" Gary declared as he created space on the makeshift battlefield. Ash didn't respond to the jibe but acknowledged he heard his opponent by also pacing to a safer spot. He had been practicing aura daily, that didn't mean he could take a hit from one of his team going all out.

"You can release first since you made the rules!" Ash shouted across the field. It wasn't an official battle but both Gary and Ash knew this would be bragging rights and Ash wanted any advantage he could get. Pride was at stake.

He would not lose to Gary Oak.

"Fair enough, you need every advantage you can get!" Gary replied before sending out his Arcanine.

What appeared on the field was a quadruped, largely orange canine Pokemon with black markings over its body. The fur was shaggy, and its paws began to scorch the earth underneath. It wasn't nearly as large as Professor Oak's own Arcanine, but it was still a specimen of its kind.

That was predictable. Ash had no doubt that Gary knew of his favourite typing. He had nagged on about it enough over the years. Of the four Pokemon Ash knew about that made the most sense. Arcanine was not only resistant to steel type attacks but also capable of melting through most steel type hides.

Thankfully Ash didn't possess any steel types that fell into the category of normal.

He quickly decided on his partner and what appeared from his pokeball was Excadrill, his second capture and third friend.

She was a ferocious little thing with a dark brown body with diagonal, red splotches. A large blade roughly twice as large as her face extended from her forehead. Blades also covered her arms making her look fierce. She has short legs with small, narrow feet and a small white face which was long and thin, tipped by her pink nose. Her eyes are set back, and she regarded Ash with fondness who waved cheerily back before turning to her opponent.

It was a logical choice. She had a vast amount of moves that could harm Arcanine and didn't have to worry about Earthquakes while underground. On top of that she was fast! This was a bad matchup for Gary, although by the look of this smug face, he didn't realise it.

"Okay let's start things off, Arcanine use Comet Fang!" Gary declared, instructing his Arcanine to move.

The fire type was blindingly fast, so far so that Ash struggled to keep it in view. Comet Fang looked like a mixture of Quick Attack and Extreme Speed. Excadrill knew what to do but Ash acted fast regardless.

"Dig, feel for its presence and follow up with Drill Run. Be on edge for a counter!" Ash said to Excadrill who duly followed his command.

Excadrill, who narrowly avoided Arcanine's attack, which looked have added Fire Fang into the combo, dug underground and into safety. Gary, who showed his frustration with a scowl barked a few commands to Arcanine.

Excadrill was patient underground, Ash knew she was feeling for were Arcanine lay, and burst open from the ground, all three blades spinning as she struck her opponent from underneath. Arcanine, clearly feeling the effects from the attack, spat a huge flame directly into Excadrill's side as a retaliation.

Both Pokemon were panting from the super effective hits, but both could take more. Ash, deciding to take the initiative directed Excadrill next.

"Sandstrom, followed by Rock Quake and Drill Run!" Ash stated to his Pokemon. Excadrill, not even glancing to hear her trainer's command threw up an enormous sandstorm that began to buffet the corral and encompassed both Pokemon. One clearly more at home than the other.

Ash smiled at the scene in front of him. Gary, now more evidently peeved off, would struggle to command Arcanine in the storm. He could see that Arcanine was moving at pace, however, clearly trying to divert Excadrill's attention and fired a Flamethrower in her direction which she took, wincing at the pain.

One of the negative effects of whipping up a sandstorm and following it up with an offensive technique was not only that it was draining, but it required immense concertation that left Excadrill vulnerable to hits. Thankfully, the pros outweighed the cons.

Arcanine, falling off balance thanks to the first part of Rock Quake, again wincing from the effects and thus took the full effect of the Rock Slide that followed. Ash always enjoyed that combination. Excadrill, seeing that the fire type was down rushed her opponent. With Sand Rush activated, her increase in speed doubling, Arcanine had no hope but to brace for the incoming Drill Run which connected with an almighty thump.

Ash knew this was over. Excadrill, badly bruised and lightly charred from the enhanced Drill Run and flames, reduced the Sandstrom till it was nothing but a light breeze and slinked over towards Ash's side.

On the other side of the battlefield, Arcanine was left in a crumpled heap, eyes closed over and heavily breathing. A flash of red light soon engulfed the fire type and it was returned to rest.

Ash looked up to Gary who had a face of utter disbelief. Hmmm, Gary genuinely thought that he would. Ash guessed that his grandfather did not tell him of Ash's achievements after all.

The Arcanine was truly impressive, Ash thought that almost any other member of his team would have found it difficult to defeat the canine. They all would have certainly taken more damage. As it was, he had the perfect counter, who could hit just as hard, be evasive and be more effectively.

Ash decided to walk over to Gary and offer a shake of hand, Excadrill by his side, which after a few seconds, was somewhat accepted. Ash began to speak but was cut off by Gary.

"How? There is no way you are that far ahead of me!" Gary said dejectedly, looking at Ash for answers.

Ash was going to fire back with a petulant jibe but thought against it. He looked up to Gary again, and could tell that he was really down in the dumps as if he was questioning every detail of his journey to be wrong. There was no point kicking a dog while it was down after all, so he took another route.

"I'm not!" Ash fired back, trying to be as modest as possible. Sure, he was still delighted to win, but Gary was the closest thing that he had to a friend. Well human friend anyway. And Gary needed a friend right now.

"You were unlucky with the matchup, Arcanine was a logical choice but Excadrill is my perfect counter to fire types. On top of that, you don't think that my team has worked extensively on its one glaring weakness?" Ash replied compassionately.

"I guess not. I thought Arcanine would just melt a hole through you. Man do I feel stupid. It won't happen again!" Gary replied defiantly, kicking the ground as he spoke. Dust quickly rose up, making both Ash and Gary cover their face. Gary levelled a quick apology leaving a wry smile on both boy's faces.

"Good! I don't want to pick your sorry ass off the floor every time we battle." Ash replied back in jest. It seemed like there would be a good chance that he and Gary would still be friends after all. "Besides, it was a good battle, well for Excadrill and I anyway." Ash finished off as he fondly scratched the top of the Subterrene Pokemon's head, who leant into his touch and elicited a pleasant sound.

Gary nodded at the response, looking to be somewhat happier than moments ago. Ash took the gesture as confirmation to ask his next question.

"So, what Pokemon do you have Gary? I know about Arcanine obviously and my mother mentioned Blastoise, Alakazam and Umbreon too, but I don't know about the others!" Ash asked his long-time friend.

"Scouting out the competition Ashy-boy?" Gary shot back before sobering up quickly. "Other than the four you just mentioned, I have a Nidoqueen and Pidgeot as part of my main team. I'm training up an Electabuzz and Scyther too, and I've passed a fair few other Pokemon to gramps for study. Got to help the old duff somehow!"

Ash nodded. That was quite the team. Powerful no doubt and in time they would pose a credible threat to almost any trainer outside of a select few. Ash duly wondered where Gary obtained the Scyther. They were very difficult to find in both Kanto and Johto, being the apex bug type in both regions along with its evolution Scizor. A steel type. Ash quickly brushed off asking Gary where he had found one. No fun in that anyway.

"A powerful team no doubt!" Ash stated getting back on topic. "Do you want to be a generalist? Or do you have a completely different goal in mind?" Ash asked, generally curious as to what Gary was going to do next.

"I'm not sure to be honest!" Gary replied, looking down at the grass as he spoke. "I just wanted to gather a strong team initially and compete at the conference. You were my _TARGET_!" He exclaimed pointing towards Ash. "But you headed off to the back of beyond. I think I want to be a researcher like gramps, get my license early and study. Being a generalist, or master in general, looks tough. I'd have to hunt down several masters to learn from. Honestly, I really don't know, I've not put too much thought into it, but that decision isn't for a while yet anyway!" Gary concluded, looking to have shrugged a weight off his shoulder with the explanation.

Ash nodded his head, not really knowing what to say to that. Thankfully he didn't have to as Gary spoke again.

"What about you? What team have you gathered from beyond the realm. I'm not too familiar with Unovan Pokemon but I've done enough digging to know which ones are worth looking out for, particularly steel types!" Gary asked, putting the same question to Ash.

"I'm glad you asked." Ash said, a wide smile splitting his face. He loved talking about or showing off his team whenever he could.

"As you know I've got Excadrill here!" Ash started pointing down and scratching Excadrill's head, again eliciting a squeal of delight from his Pokemon. "Other than that, you have probably guessed that Riolu evolved into Lucario." Ash continued tapping the pokeball closest to his hip. "I've also got a Magnezone, so you will be familiar with it, an Aggron, Skarmory and Bisharp!" Ash declared, naming his team in the order he met them.

He was extremely proud of the team he had gathered and what they had achieved.

His Magnezone, he caught as a Magnemite at the Virbank Complex not too long into his Unovan journey. It was wandering aimlessly, well apparently aimlessly. It was more than happy to tag along, clearly not having much on. Ash sometimes has a hard time reading the Magnet Area Pokemon which one of the reasons he couldn't wait for Lucario to translate its thoughts to him.

Excadrill popped up in a dust cloud next, as a curious Drilbur. She wasn't the strongest at the time, but the battle that took place with Ferroseed left a burning hole in her soul to get as strong as possible. She was now proud and fierce.

Aggron was next, her prior evolution was the first Pokemon that he encountered in Mistralton Cave. It was up for a fight though and had to be knocked out before Ash caught her. She was so cute as an Aron and they have a bond that is as strong as the rest of the team.

Skarmory was a difficult catch up by Reversal Mountain. Ash had heard that the Armor Bird Pokemon was found by the mountain and couldn't wait to find one. He lucked out as the flying type was strong and vicious. He had grown to like Ash, protecting him and the team, but was particularly aggressive to outsiders.

Finally, but by no means least, Ash caught the Pokemon he wanted most from his Unovan experience. Bisharp, and what a battle it was. He was leading a group of Pawniard on Route 11, just before the Village Bridge and was extremely strong. The fact that he was leading a group of Pawniard made Ash to believe that he was an Alpha and boy did he show it. Without Riley's training they would have been screwed. Lucario was on his last legs by the time the Sword Blade Pokemon finally fell and the Pawniard dispersed soon after, likely to be taken over by another brethren. Bisharp was most certainly Ash's second strongest, if not strongest Pokemon and all his strength had been from the wild, untamed.

In the Vertress Conference he always opened with Lucario and closed with Bisharp if the opposition got that far. He had only been used once.

Gary nodded at Ash's team, trying to gauge which Pokemon he had indeed heard of before replying.

"Not bad Ash! I've heard of a most of them obviously, Bisharp are quite rare and powerful, so I read anyway. I can't say I've heard much about the others though. By the way that's a massive advantage, just saying."

"Anyway, if there as strong as that Excadrill of yours then you will have no problem in tearing up the leagues this side of world. What ARE you going to do next?" Gary finished, happily analysing Ash's team out loud.

That was a good question.

"I want to try my hand at another league, although I'm not sure which one. After winning the Vertress Conference…" Ash began before he was interrupted.

"Hold the phone! What do you mean by winning the Vertress Conference? You gotta be shittin me!" Gary replied, mouth ajar.

Ash laughed. He laughed a lot.

"You heard me Gary!" Ash stated, finding it hard to breath.

"That's history man. I mean, it's Unova, but still, history! Has a rookie ever won a league? How has nobody heard of this? You must be a legend across there?" Gary replied, sputtering out questions so fast Ash was struggling to comprehend them.

"Breath!" Ash replied, still laughing at Gary's antics. "And yes, I guess it is history. As for hearing about it, I'm not too sure. You know yourself, communications are poor, and I was hardly a popular winner what with being a foreigner. But I never stuck around long enough to see." Ash responded, still silently chuckling at what he witnessed prior. He had never seen Gary so surprised.

"You didn't challenge the Elite Four?" Gary responded to which Ash shook his head to say he did. "How you do?"

"I did, got creamed by the first member, Shauntal, she is a ghost type master, a bit like Agatha, and I don't think I would have fared better against any of the others. I barely got to her third Pokemon and worse was she was toying with me. Ash replied a bit downbeat at his quick defeat.

"Anyway, getting back on track." Ash said quickly, shaking the defeat from his mind. "I feel I have all the tools to do the same on a grander and more global stage. Got to get my name out there you know." Ash continued, a bit of tongue in cheek at his lack of profile despite being the 67th Vertress Conference Champion.

"Hopefully if I progress more over the next year or two, I can win another conference and fight the elites on a more even scale, maybe. I still want to seek out Riley, my teacher who trains steel types, he is originally from Sinnoh, but I am not entirely sure of his current whereabouts, or another steel type expert and that will probably determine which region I go to. I was hoping your grandad could help with that actually!" Ash finished, outlining his plan to Gary.

Gary gave a noncommittal grunt, still apparently in shock at Ash's revelation. He didn't so much as utter a 'that sounds like a plan' before changing the topic.

"Speaking of. We should probably head back. Gramps is probably worried that we've gone and blown up a section of his prized corral."

Ash, nodding in agreement, analysing if he had actually broken the taller teen as the two boys set out to the lab, turning to Excadrill and returning the Subterrene Pokemon to her ball, not before giving one last scratch.

XxXxXx

"Boys!" Professor Oak said cheerily, gazing up from his desk to give Ash and Gary his full attention. "I suppose your little battle settled your squabbling rivalry. What can I do for you?"

Ash tried to suppress a smug grin at his victory, it wasn't very effective. Gary on the other hand, seemed to have rediscovered his sullen look at the professor's words.

"Well professor, Gary and I were discussing our plans for the future, you know, and since you're so well connected, I was wondering if you knew of any steel type experts, not necessarily masters per say, but experts that I could get in touch with?" Ash started rather nervously. He hated asking for favours. "It's just I don't want to stagnate, and I feel a master would help me out a lot!" Ash finished, giving Professor Oak his best puppy eyes in the process. Even a fire type expert would be somewhat beneficial.

It was true, Ash did need to seek out another teacher. He could still grow, find new challenges and worthy opponents, but they would be far fewer. It was something Ash was willing to embrace if an expert could be found.

His focus quickly switched back to the professor who spoke, thinking out loud. "Hmmm, I thought you would ask this question. Let me think. I could ask Blaine, he would certainly have time for you, although I'm not sure how long you could put up with him for!" the professor started, chuckling to himself of the joke he made about the former elite.

Ash had obviously heard about Blaine, everyone in Indigo had heard about the man. A former Elite Four member, he was notorious for beating down the unprepared and was a true force in the war. He and his team had waned in their older years, but Ash was sure he could still learn a lot from the man. He was also a brilliant scientist, or so Ash had heard anyway.

"I think I could do better though!" The professor added. "Give me a few days Ash and I 'll see what I can do. You will go to he/she I suppose?" The professor asked Ash to which he nodded. "Good, that should make things easier. By the way, I completed your trainer profile and took the privilege of uploading it to your Pokedex." Professor Oak concluded, bringing a bright smile to Ash's face. He was very, very lucky that he knew the man.

"Gary, a word please. Ash, I'll see you soon!" Ash took the notion that he was dismissed, not before saying goodbye to both Gary and the professor and taking the slow walk home for dinner.

XxXxX

Dinner was uneventful, it was nice to idly chit chat with his mother about the small matters in the world and Pallet Town in general. The restaurant was doing great, and his mother was planning on hiring more staff. She said that could allow her to return to her studies, but she wait and see first how the new members got on. They sat for an hour or two, just mother and son before Ash retired for the evening.

Now, he was in his room and looking at the file the good professor sent him over. Curiosity got the better of him and Ash dived right into his profile.

**Full Name:**

_Ash Ketchum_

**Rank:**

_A_

**Age:**

_16 (PIL 983 -)_

**Height:**

_6'0" (approx.)_

**Weight:**

_185lbs (approx.)_

**Eyes:**

_Brown_

**Hair:**

_Black_

**Place of Origin:**

_Pallet Town, Kanto_

**Family:**

_Delia Ketchum – Mother_

**Personality**

_Independent trainer. Strong bond with Pokemon. Generally friendly and passionate individual who helps others when afforded to._

**Bio:**

_Noticed as promising young trainer due to Professor Oak's sponsorship._

_Proceeded to leave Kanto after receiving trainer license._

_Visited Unova in 998._

_Returned to Kanto in 999. Presence noted and observers placed as mandated by Indigo League protocol for returning trainers._

_Placed on potential future list of recruits for Indigo League after winning the Vertress Conference in 999._

_Team consists of Lucario, Magnezone, Excadrill, Aggron, Skarmory and Bisharp with speciality in defence._

Interesting stuff. A smile crept up on Ash's face. Rank A, that must be good. As for potential recruit, he idly wondered what that would entail. It sounded like some sort of boot camp. Ash wondered if someone would present themselves to him and ask him to join the league. He had never thought of that before but there was something appealing about it.

He could imagine being some sort of military trainer for a league, ACE he believed they were referred to in Indigo, going on missions, capturing bad guys and protecting the vulnerable. Taking orders would be a bummer though, Ash was never overly great with authority. Still, it looked fun. Plus, he would basically be the law which sounded cool and also learning about the league was rather enticing.

His attention then diverted to who, if anyone, Professor Oak would find to train him. There wasn't that many fire or steel type experts in the world after all. He thought of his old teacher Riley, and duly wondered if Bryon would be a possibility. Riley had told him that Byron was a steel type gym leader who trained in the same area that Riley did. He was also strong, and it would be nice to visit the origins of his old teachers' birth.

Flint from the Sinnoh Elite Four could maybe spare a couple of months, but Ash didn't think the fire master would have much of a vestige interest in the teen. Maybe a retired master, or one less notable would pop up, someone he had never heard of. Professor Oak knew a lot of people after all.

His mind was swimming for the next few hours as he struggled to find sleep. Jasmine of Olivine, former champion Steven Stone (Ash wished), Flannery's grandfather Mr Moore, all capable of training Ash and he couldn't wait. One had to gain knowledge after all, snippets, ideas on new techniques and ways to resist attacks. Not only having ideas, bur forming them into reality.

Steven Stone, in particular, was one of Ash's idols. Sure, all of Kanto rightfully followed and loved Lance, but Steven was the one Ash looked up to most. The man wasn't as skilled as Cynthia or as strong as Lance, both prodigies amongst prodigies, but he made that up with thoroughness and leaving no stone unturned. He slipped under the radar, almost, took the throne and gave it away within two years. Apparently, he either didn't like the politics or just wanted to spend his time doing other things.

But other than being the proverbial steel type master in the world, what Ash idolised most from Steven was that he was a defensive wall, something Ash aspired to be. Ash would do anything If he could train under the former champion, even for a wee while. The information he could hopefully absorb would kick him on to the next level, that's for sure.

As he continued fantasying about who would train him and in what location, Ash noticed that it was past 3 am, well past his bed time and he solemnly focused to get some rest. After a while he dosed off, happy thoughts of his future at the forefront of his mind.

XxXxX

The next couple of weeks flew by nicely, with Ash embracing the calm of Pallet Town. Inhaling a breath of fresh air as he opened the front door. He slowly trudged his way to the laboratory, the familiar walk bringing a smile to his face.

Professor Oak was still working on finding him a teacher, supposedly he had a couple of options in the pipeline, but the good professor was waiting to hear back from a few of the more respected masters, or so he said anyway. He had however said that today would be the deadline and one way or another, he would have news for Ash.

His mother was doing great, although Ash could see an anxious look creep into her face any time his future adventures were mentioned. She clearly loved having Ash home and the thought of him leaving again was beginning to wear on her soft features. It sent a pang of guilt into his heart whenever he caught the expression.

Ash made sure to keep his team in shape, regularly training them at the corral. Mostly it was just light exercises, a bit of sparring. It was his teams' vacation too, so they had earned the right to lounge about in the sun, a few of them even made friends with the local corral habitants.

As for Gary, well his friend and former rival had set his sights on Johto and the Silver Conference. The taller teen was getting his supplies ready and looked to set out in the coming days. A part of Ash wanted to join him. Gary would be good company, at least for a bit, and it would be nice to have someone pushing him along.

Of course, all of that would hinge on Professor Oak finding him a master, and if he could, where said master would reside. If the old man couldn't find anyone, then he might as well follow Gary to Johto. There were a few steel types that interested him, the lands were ancient and at least a few of the gym leaders' full teams would pose credible threats.

As he made his way to the front door, a few Butterfree's entered his stomach, excitement and nerves hitting him all at once. Taking one deep breath, he went in, politely greeting Grace, before heading on through to the professor's office.

"Ah, Ash my boy, come in, come in. Your just in time. I've just been off the phone to your prospective teacher, and I feel you will be very pleased with the outcome!" Professor Oak stated a smug smile on the older gentlemen's face. He was sat down on his chair, a stack of papers on his desk and a few objects that Ash couldn't make out were scattered across the room.

Ash beamed at the news, his mind going into overdrive again at who this person could be. He was beginning to become impatient when the professor spoke again.

"Ash, your prospective teacher is highly decorated and skilled. There are a few caveats included in the training which you will need to accept but I'm sure you will agree that in the long run they will be worth it."

"Your teacher, if you accept, will be…."

**And scene. This is my second story. I hope you enjoy it. Please review and if you want to guess or recommend who will take Ash under their wing then go ahead.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2: Preparations

"Steven Stone!" Professor Oak said, trying, and failing to hide the grin that split his face as he said it.

The only response Ash could muster up was a soft 'what' as his eyes bugged out. He genuinely could not believe what he was hearing. The Steven Stone was going to train him. How did Professor Oak manage to even get a hold of him, never mind getting him to agree to this?

"How? Why?" Was Ash's next response. Sure, he had created history, but Steven Stone didn't know who he was. He wasn't even native to Hoenn.

"Because you have earned the right Ash!" The professor replied. "And because your timing is impeccable, you will be his very first student, as he likes to call it."

"Of course, there will be caveats as previously discussed. Steven will pass these on himself but from my understanding they include completing an ACE programme. All the inter-regional ACE programs are similar for Indigo, Hoenn and Sinnoh so prepare for all conditions. The reason for this is that he wants you in shape, both physically and mentally, in case he is required in the field at short notice. Basically, he doesn't want tot worrying about you if something goes south." The professor continued, getting into lecture mode. Ash was making sure to sear every bit of information into his brain. He was still stunned that the Steven Stone would be teaching him, and he wanted to be as humanely prepared as possible.

"I told him that you were in excellent shape and could handle yourself, however Steven, as you will come to learn, is a man of facts and statistics. As he hasn't met you yet and has very little to go on other than my word, which goes a long way by the way, he wants you to complete the program in the standard 3-month timeline. This will allow him ample time to teach you while you collect the necessary badges to compete in the regional conference that you will be travelling in." The professor took a large breath as he completed his spiel. He still looked rather smug at how he managed to pull this off. Ash didn't blame him. He was a very lucky boy and he would make sure that whatever word Professor Oak put in for him, that he would live up to it.

As he continued to process the enormity of what had just been announced the good professor spoke again. "Ash, from what Steven has told me your affair will be generally relaxed and at a slow pace, however you might be called in to action to stop criminal organisations, I'm sure you have heard of Team Rocket, they could be one of them. If the former champion of Hoenn is to be called to assist, then the situation will be dangerous." The professor stated clearly, making it apparent that Ash should take his words very seriously. "Just remember to listen to Steven and don't put yourself in a situation you cannot get out off. I don't want to be the one to tell your mother that you have been killed needlessly." He finished, looking Ash directly in the eyes.

Happy that the young teen had got the message, the professor adopted a calmer demeanour. "Now, I think it's time for a celebration, don't you think? I told your mother in advance of the good news, and what with Gary getting ready to leave, we thought it would be nice to throw you two a going away party."

Ash smiled at the sentiment, he could only imagine his mother swatting over the food and decorations, making sure that everything was perfect for her baby boy. He idly wondered who all would be there. Maybe the professor would let his staff have the night off. He knew most of them after all. Maybe a few of the trainers that had passed the PTE at the same time Ash and Gary did would be about. He wasn't particularly close with any of them, but it would be nice to compare teams at least.

"Thank you, professor, for everything. I won't let you down." Ash said sincerely.

"You never have Ash; I don't think you will start now." The professor replied chuckling at his own response.

Smiling, accepting the praise from the professor, a question that had been on the tip of his tongue since the announcement of who his teacher would be. "What's he like, Steven Stone?"

Ash was genuinely curious, and a bit nervous, of what a champion acted like. Steven, from the outside looked very prim and posh, something Ash certainly wasn't. His father owned the Devon Corporation in Hoenn, and he would certainly be the successor, their version of Silph Co. which was Kanto's main technological company for Pokemon accessories.

From what else the he could gather from searching the former champion, other than being immensely strong, was that he was a keen collector of rare gems and stones, which Ash found mildly amusing given his surname, and it was rumoured he would go to extreme lengths to acquire said minerals.

Other than that, the only information available on the normal databases, were that he obtained his master rank at 20, still relatively young, before becoming champion a few years later. His Metagross was rumoured to be the strongest trained Pokemon in the world, more powerful than Lance's Dragonite and Cynthia's Garchomp respectively, although the rest of his team didn't quite match up.

Ash was under no illusions that his whole team would get creamed by the behemoth, but from what he had read about the silvered haired man, there was a bit of hope about taking down at least one or two members from the rest of his team.

"He is a good man Ash, strong in body and mind, not afraid to put someone in their place when required, but he tries to stay out of the limelight when possible." The professor started, answering Ash's question before smirking a little bit as if he remembered something about the man. "Unlike you, he doesn't mind stepping into the limelight from time to time, he won't admit it, but he has a theatrical element to him, oh and he likes the sound of his own voice so be prepared for long and drawn out speeches."

That's about what Ash expected. The theatrical element was new though. It would be an experience in its own learning and hopefully befriending a champion.

"I took the initiative to pass on your Pokedex entry to Steven." The professor continued. "He will most likely pass on all the requirements about your arrangements tonight, it should outline everything from where you will be travelling too, the ACE program, meeting points and timelines. I expect it to be very thorough. He's a busy man, and he still has certain requirements to Ever Grande, so I expect it will be around four months before you actually meet him, what with your own training program."

Ash let all the information sink in before nodding to the professor. A small pit of Butterfree's entered his stomach as the beginning of a new chapter seemed imminent. He still couldn't believe his luck that the Steven Stone would be his teacher.

"I'll see you tonight professor, again thank you for everything." Ash finally responded to which the professor merely smiled at. With a hop and a skip Ash left his office with a bountiful amount of energy, not before saying goodbye to Grace on the way out and into the early morning sunshine that was Pallet Town.

XxXxXx

After telling his team of the news, explaining who Steven Stone was and how strong his team would be in the process, which was met with both shock and happiness that they would get to train under such a foe, Ash set out with his mother to the party. She had taken the news rather well, probably due to the fact that he would have a former champion looking out for her baby boy.

It was early evening; the sun was just starting to set which led to picturesque views of the remote town. Ash had yet to receive correspondence from Steven in regard to their arrangement but was prepared for his Pokedex to ping at any minute.

Mother and son entered the laboratory, going through the back and into the corral were the party would be held. The sight that greeted them was a good one. Streamers lined the edges, plenty of food was arrayed out which wetted Ash's appetite and there were at least a few people that Ash could interact with. There was also a lot of people he didn't know. Most likely acquittances of Professor Oak or Gary and trying to curry favour the former.

While Ash scoped out the guests, his mother left him to start chit chat with a neighbour, Dolores if he was correct. He spotted two teens his age, a boy and a girl, who sat the PTE's the same year he and Gary did. John and Amy if he was correct. It would be rude of him if he didn't at least say hello. His social skills weren't that bad after all.

John stood at 5-foot-9, average height for a male in Kanto, he had short blonde hair and soft facial features which made him look younger than he was. John had ap air of navy shorts and a white short sleeve shirt as attire, dressed appropriately for the summer evening weather.

Amy was 5-foot-4 and slim, although you could tell that it was all muscle underneath due to her travelling. She had long brown hair which was neatly tied into a ponytail with a white cap shading the sun. She had a simple light blue vest on with a short white skirt to match, further highlighting her toned, tanned legs. For the first time Ash noticed that she was indeed very pretty, and Ash tried to suppress a blush.

John and Amy, as it turns out, had competed in the Indigo Conference like Gary, an achievement in itself for any rookie, and had made it into the top 64 and 32 respectively. Gary had actually been the one to knock John out, a 3-1 victory and by the way John spoke about it, he wasn't best pleased.

Amy had been knocked out by the eventual finalist, so she was quite proud of her placing. This titbit of information also made it difficult to pinpoint how powerful she truly was as supposedly she held her own against said finalist.

That excited Ash, maybe Gary wasn't the strongest after all. Smiling at the revelation he asked the pair what their teams comprised off and the answers surprised him.

John had a Charizard, Raichu, Golduck, Pinser, Muk and Marowak. A strong team no doubt, built to dish hits out.

Amy had a Venusaur, Beedrill, Arbok, Golbat, Tentacruel and Haunter. A specialist like himself and with a dangerous ghost on her team too. She was impressing him more and more. In a year or so when the rest of her team would evolve then she would be quite the threat to a lot of trainers, just not him.

Ash was about to brag about his own team and achievements when his Pokedex pinged which only signalled one thing in his mind, a message from Steven Stone. Apologising to his peers, Ash hurried off to a secluded part of Professor Oaks lab, not wanting any distractions as he digested the text.

Opening his Pokedex, Ash quickly flipped through to the emails were indeed a message from an unknown contact had appeared. He sat down on the hard floor and greedily began to read the text.

_Dear Ash,_

_As you should be aware, I am to be your teacher for the following year. You should also have been made aware of the caveat in place surrounding said training from Professor Oak._

_You are to initially report to Hoenn ACE training camp on Izabe Island. Arrangements will be made for your travel with a league vessel due to dock in Pallet Town three days from now at midday._

_Once you arrive at camp, you will be escorted by league personnel and presented to Ace Commander Warren who will debrief you and your future comrades._

_After completing the programme, you are to make your own way to the Devon Corporation HQ in Rustboro City were our training will begin._

_I suggest that you take your time once you complete camp, as rest on our travels will be scarce. Hoenn is a beautiful land, as you will come to learn, so map out a route you would like to explore, attempt a few gyms and try to relax._

_I will be in touch in due course, note you will be my first official student, so expectations are high._

_I look forward to meeting and mentoring you._

_Kind Regards_

_Steven Stone_

Ash closed and pocketed his Pokedex, searing every last letter of the email into his brain.

He was going to Hoenn. He was going to be inducted into the ACE programme. He was going to be mentored by former champion Steven Stone. He was going to win the Ever Grande Conference and be one step closer to becoming a master.

He would definitely need to read up on the ACE program. Both Professor Oak and Steven Stone expected him to pass, however he needed to prepare. The last few weeks had left Ash in somewhat lax shape.

He also needed to plan his route for after. If he was correct Izabe Island was between Mossdeep and Sootapoolis cities. Two of the harder gym badges to acquire for sure. He thought about flying on Skarmory but quashed that for now, maybe get a ferry back to the mainland, probably through Pacifidlog and Dewford Town respectively. That would mean that all the remaining 'main' gyms would be on the mainland.

He was just hoping that he would have enough time. The Hoenn oceans were vast, but if he needed to hire a private vessel he would. Ash had very deep pockets after his Vertress Conference victory after all. After all he also wanted to see Hoenn for what it truly was, beautiful, at least according to Steven Stone.

Deciding that he had thought it through enough, Ash went back to the party, looking out for John and Amy in hope of resurrecting their previous conversation.

He spotted them quickly enough, Gary had apparently appeared in Ash's absence and was making small talk with the pair.

He slinked over, punching Gary in the arm to highlight his arrival, who to his credit took the hit in his stride, before joining into the conversation.

"Ashy boy, we were just talking about you." Gary said playfully. "I see your social skills haven't improved, leaving these two high and dry." He added, not missing a chance to one up Ash.

"Hopefully it was all good things." Ash responded, not reacting to the taller teens jibe.

"I was just telling them about your team, oh and how you're a Unovan conference champion!" Gary replied smugly. "Actually, I may have just let that second part slip now!"

Ash deadpanned, sure it was going to come out eventually, people would have been wondering how he got on, what with the party being thrown in his name and all. But still, he would of like to have held the narrative.

The pair of John and Amy had different reactions. If Gary had told them about his team, and what he said wasn't a lie, they would know he was powerful. Come to think of it, they would have needed to swot up on Unovan Pokemon so maybe that didn't highlight too much.

John looked at Ash with a face of disgust, although he soon hid. Clearly, he wasn't over the moon by the revelation. John, by the looks of things didn't take kindly for others being better than him, or maybe that was just around Amy.

Amy looked at him in a new light, a sweet smile played her lips and they're was a twinkle in her blue eyes which raised Ash's temperature. She placed her hands onto her hips in what looked like an assessing manner and continued the pose for a few seconds.

"Did I pass?" Ash asked, a smile tugging his lip as Amy lowered her hands. She quickly broke off her gaze which brought another smile to Ash's face.

"I don't know, we haven't battled yet!" Amy shot back playfully. This was fun, Ash concluded, thinking of another response before John butted in.

"The Unovan league must be pretty poor if a newbie like you won it. Heck I bet any of us could have won it. And here I thought you had done something worthwhile." The smaller teen stated, hands arrayed out highlighting the party in front of them all.

Rude. That was what Ash thought in that moment. He thought John was a nice boy. Maybe he was, but his judgement was currently clouded by jealousy that his peers were superior.

By the looks of things, he wasn't the only one to come to the same conclusion. Amy's mouth was ajar, and she levelled a death stare at her friend. Gary was trying not to burst out laughing, something Ash wasn't surprised at giving the taller teens pettiness.

Ash, trying to placate the situation and not wanting to cause a scene in front of his mother replied diplomatically. "I'm not sure. I beat Gary a few weeks ago, albeit one vs one, and my opponent in both the top 8 and final were stronger than him, no offence." Ash said, looking at Gary to say sorry. "And from what you told me; Gary beat you so…."

Before John could respond, Amy spoke up, clearly having enough of John's antics, rolling her eyes in the process. "Why do you _always_ do this around other guys?" She hissed before levelling an apology to Ash before grabbing John to go to another part of the corral and have it out.

"So that was interesting." Ash piped up after a minute to his sole companion.

"Yip!" Gary responded before veering into a new topic. "So, my plans are set in stone. I'm heading to Johto the day after tomorrow. All packed and ready to go. Gonna kick those gym leaders asses!"

"Is that so?" Ash replied, allowing Gary to continue. "Like whom?"

"Morty for one. He's visited gramps a few times and thinks he's all high and mighty that he heads up a couple of towers. There's a few trainers I met in Kanto that are heading over too."

"What about you? I was going to ask you to tag along but gramps said not to hold my breath. Take it somethings come up?"

"Something has come up!" Ash responded non-descriptively.

At Gary's quizzical stare he relented. "As you know, your grandad was trying to get me a teacher. He succeeded. I'm going to Hoenn, initially to ACE boot camp. If you don't already know it's where high-level trainers who are trusted by the league go to get specialized. Apparently, my teacher needs hard facts that I can rough it." Ash continued.

"As for my teacher, I don't think you want to know, you might go get jealous like John!" Ash finished, chuckling at his own joke. Gary soon joined in, looking to see if they could find their acquaintances. Not finding them he responded to Ash.

"I'll take your word for it. Boot camp does not sound fun though. I think I'd pass on whoever this teacher is of yours."

"Anyway." Gary continued. "We should go mingle, we are the honoured guests after all, try not to be too awkward while you're at it." He finished in jest.

The boys separated, Ash trying to find a friendly face in the crowd.

He soon found Professor Oak, who by the looks of things needed a distraction from the piranhas circling him.

"Ah Ash my boy, good to see you turned up for your own party, if you would excuse us for a few minutes ladies and gents, I would like to speak with the man of the hour!" The good professor said aloud, taking Ash's presence as the perfect opportunity to vacate from his peers.

"Your timing is impeccable I might add; one man can only say no to people so many times!" Professor Oak continued, chuckling at his current predicament.

"Anything to help you out professor. I take it you know of my future travels?" Ash replied earnestly.

"Of course, of course. I take it is to your liking. Hoenn is truly a beautiful land. I've not been for many years mind you, I think I took Daisy and Gary there when they were young, but my memory isn't as good as it once was." The professor replied wistfully, looking a little lost in his thoughts.

"It is professor. I have a question though. What are the ACE programmes like? I like the thought of having a title before my name, even if it wasn't one I initially envisioned."

It was true, Ash always dreamed of becoming a master, which would be one step closer to the champions mantle. The former never had a title though so whenever the thought came up '_Elite Four Ash'_ always had a good ring about it.

"I'm not going to lie to you Ash, it's tough. Both physically and mentally. Be prepared to have the stuffing knocked out of you, also there will be plenty of drills, both individual and team, with formations for combat, mission scenarios and how to implement your team to the best of their ability. Scenario's include opposition targeting the trainer so individuals with psychics excel due to their shielding capacities." The professor responded, highlighting what Ash had already guessed.

The shield part was interesting. Hopefully Ash's Aura abilities would improve over time so he wouldn't need to rely on a team member, other than Protect which was draining if used consistently, none his team specialised in erecting shields. He didn't want to catch psychic type all willy nilly either.

But at the same time, he didn't really want to highlight that he could use aura. Most people hadn't even heard of the concept after all. It would certainly raise more questions than answers and Ash could hazard a guess that Riley and his peers wouldn't be too happy that their secret was out.

"Just think on it Ash." The professor continued, seeing that Ash was deep in thought. "You have a couple of days to try things out, you know your teams strengths and weaknesses more than I do after all. Remember your future comrades will most certainly have more experience than you, seen more conflict, so they and their teams will be better prepared. What they don't have is the same intellect and drive you do, nor the strength and power that goes with it, so be confident in your abilities." The professor concluded, highlighting that although Ash lacked certain elements needed to be an ACE Trainer, he still had plenty of attributes which would take him over the line.

"I will Professor Oak, I'll _ACE _this in no time!" Ash replied jovially, the professors speech giving him renewed confidence. He would just have to think outside the box regarding shields, but he knew his team was more than capable of pulling it out the bag.

"I know you will Ash, now shoo, I can only keep the vultures away for so long, and by the looks of things the mayor has been eying a conversation!" Stated Professor Oak.

Ash took the professors words in stride, looking out into the expanse of the corral as he wandered aimlessly as he strummed along the six pokeballs that lined his belt. He had plenty to think about after all.

All of Ash's team had a large variety of resistances and immunities meaning that even the defensively fragile Pokemon could generally take a hit.

Aggron was noticeably slower than the rest of his team, so it would make sense that she could be Ash's protection in group combat. Magnezone too he guessed. It could use long range attacks and use its special skillset to startle opponents.

He reckoned that most of his fellow ACE cadets would only have one level of protection as well. At least in the programme anyway. It was good that they could balance each other out what with their vastly different attacking styles.

That left four offensive fighters that could take on the opposition with overwhelming force and finesse. He imagined that Excadrill would be the floater, going underground to strike at foes before darting to safety. A distraction for the enemy. In a melee she would be the least durable as well.

That left a three-pronged attack of Skarmory, Lucario and Bisharp. Lucario and Bisharp would take the flanks, rushing the enemy by getting in close while Skarmory covered the team from the sky and along with Excadrill incapacitating any rouge Pokemon that broke through.

It wasn't perfect, but Ash didn't think that he would come up with anything better. He would need to practice it with the team over the coming days but in theory it should work. He was maybe being over optimistic at his teams capabilities, as he had so far rarely came across an opponent that could overwhelm him and his team.

As he continued to wonder and think, he walked straight into somebody. Amy.

"Ow watch it. Oh, it's you Ash, sorry, what are you doing this far away from the party?" She blurted out in apparent confusion and anger.

"I was just doing some thinking, you know, need a quiet place to do that. What about you?" Ash replied, asking the same question to Amy.

"Same, I had it out with John if you hadn't of guessed, and I needed to get away from it all." She replied solemnly, trying to stay as emotionless as possible. It didn't last very long.

"You know we travelled together through Kanto, good friends really, but I guess he always wanted more." Amy continued, sitting on the ground and plucking a few bits of grass from the earth.

"At first, I thought it was cute, he would always defend me in front of others, but after a while it gets draining you know. He had this complex when other males were superior to him, and its only gotten worse. I can look after myself now too. We were planning on going to Johto together but now I don't know. I think it's time to branch out by myself, but I don't want to hurt him."

Ash, joining Amy on the ground, listened attentively, not knowing what to say once she finished her emotive spiel. Silence gathered for a minute or two, only the faint outlines of laughter from the party echoed in the background until Ash spoke up.

"You've got to do what's best for you. Your young, and I'm sure you have goals you want to achieve. Worrying about John isn't going to help that. So, go to Johto, but tell him beforehand that you want to explore on your own. Maybe even offer to start off together before splitting up? Just don't waste your talent, you'll regret it later on."

Amy looked up to Ash before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks!" She said. "I needed that."

Ash on the other hand, went bright red. He had experienced a lot things, but this was way out of his element. Amy started laughing once she caught sight of his beetroot cheeks before planting a kiss on the other cheek.

"Yea, yeah, no problem, any time." Ash eventually replied blurting out an incoherent sentence.

"I still want our battle, no holding back now!" Amy giggled back, winking at Ash as she said so.

Somewhat getting back to his usual self, Ash shot back. "Never, I need all the practice I can get in the next two days if I'm to be ready for Hoenn."

"Aw man, and I here I thought this was me convincing you to go to Johto!" Amy responded sarcastically.

"So, what's your plans, Mr conference champion." She continued in a light-hearted manner. "I've just opened myself up to you, why don't you return the favour?"

Ash started laughing at her faux mannerisms. She was really good company; it was a shame they were going separate ways.

Ash went onto explain that he was going to Hoenn to compete in the Ever Grande Conference. He also mentioned that he was training under a master and that a prerequisite was that he had to pass the ACE training programme in advance, which he would be leaving for in the coming days.

As for the wandering, Ash explained the group combat situation and how he would need to personally protected by his team if a fight broke out.

Amy was enraptured by it all, saying that it sounded super cool, which it was to be honest. At this rate she looked like she would change her goals and become an ACE trainer or Ranger, she was that intrigued by it all.

As night continued to fall, the two talked about what they wanted to achieve and promised to keep in touch, swapping Pokedex numbers. It was truly bliss but bittersweet all the same.

Ash had made another friend, but they would soon be departing for pastures new. Ash very well aware that a journey could change people and their perspectives, but he hoped that they would keep the promise.

He had more pressing matters to take care off though, and new distractions could be dangerous. So, he shook himself off once he got home and tried to refocus on being as prepared as possible for the ACE programme. Sleep took him shortly after, his mind awash with many thoughts, and for the first time ever, girls were one of them.

XxXxXx

The next two days whizzed by. Ash was as prepared as he could be. Had said his goodbyes to his mother, Professor Oak, Gary and Amy, promising to stay in touch with all of them and to buy a PokeNav (he wasn't going to Unova after all).

He was as ready as he possibly could be.

He had tried out his group combat formation, it was adequate enough for the first stages of boot camp he hoped. The team had understood it and knew of their requirements if they were let out to action.

He had battled Amy's team and won. She was as good he thought. Around the same level as Gary. Sadly, her poison typing was a major hindrance and Ash had won comfortably in the end. It was a glaring weakness, one that she couldn't really do anything about until she faced off against more steel types as there was a complete lack of them in Kanto.

There was plenty of running involved for him and the team. It wouldn't put them in perfect shape, but it was a start.

Now he was at the Pallet Town shoreline about to board the league vessel that was docked up. It was quite the site, sleek black, very streamlined. It was no wonder the journey was comparatively short.

There was a man waiting for him next to the league vessel. He was dressed in all white, with black shoes and a white hat. He looked to be around his mid-forties and seemed friendly enough.

"You Ash Ketchum?" The gentlemen asked to which Ash nodded. "Good, hop aboard and put your gear in the cabin. You have free reign of the vessel. I would advise you to get as much rest as possible though. My name is captain Angus, your personal escort to Izabe Island. Any questions, just come on through and find me!" The captain stated before making way for Ash.

The inside of league vessel was even more sleek than the outside. Smooth, expensive flooring was afoot with enough space to comfortably walk side by side with a Pokemon in the corridors. There was a communal room, with expensive looking couches aligned for conversation and he could see a chef's kitchen tucked out of the way.

His bedroom was absolutely massive. An aquarium took up once side of the wall, it was big enough to fit a Tentacruel comfortably. His bed was also humongous, probably fitting most of his team in it. There was a luxurious rug, an en-suite and a large television hanging on the wall. This was the single plushest room he had ever been in.

Ash released his team; they had earnt this comfort as much as he had, and they arrayed around him waiting for instruction.

"Alright guys, we have boarded the league vessel and are heading to Izabe Island to begin our ACE training. The journey shouldn't take longer than a few days so begin to focus on our drills and formations. I have no idea what to expect once we land on the island but be prepared for conflict."

"There will be no physical training over the next few days so try and relax, wander the vessel, look out to ocean, and think on what you want to achieve over the coming months. This luxury will soon be taken away from us so make the most of it. Understood?"

Ash received a confirmation of whizzes and grunts and his team began to disperse. Magnezone floated to the upper deck, most likely to stare out at the abyss. Skarmory was flying above, stretching his wings while Excadrill scurried off in search of food.

Lucario and Bisharp were the only ones left, naturally along with Aggron too who went straight to sleep.

"You two will be the big players in the months to come. Lead the team as you have before, use your instincts and be alert. We should be able to overpower the opposition, but they will have more tricks than us. We need to be calm in the face of the unknown, don't show weakness, our foes will strive on it."

Both Pokemon nodded at his spiel, fully aware of their responsibilities and roles in the team. Ash was just reiterating it.

"Let's meditate. The next time we set on shore we could be under attack!"


	3. Chapter 3: Initiation

He was ready, his Pokemon returned to him but also prepared to fight at a moment's notice. Ash was situated on the upper deck looking out towards the sea, taking in the fresh air while he could. The Hoenn climate was notoriously humid after all. Izabe Island was just coming into view, although with the speed of the boat the background was becoming larger and larger with every passing second.

He had changed into more practical attire. Waterproof dark boots lined his feet and dark cargo trousers with plenty of pockets on his legs. A white tee finished off Ash's simple look.

He had of course looked up Izabe Island in the time he was on the league vessel, what with the journey being uneventful, but peaceful all the same. Izabe Island, according to the Pokedex at least, had a wide variety of environments, from deserted areas to snow-covered mountains making it an ideal location for an ACE program. Its highest peak was known as the Square Top, a cube-shaped rock formation on a mountain and Ash hazard a guess that he would be traversing it at some point over the next few months.

The island wasn't a barren land though, there was at least three main settlements that covered the area, Riyado Town, Cerosi Town and Purika City.

Riyado Town, which should really be classified as a village due to its small size. It was the smallest settlement on the island. It was also prone to flooding.

Cerosi Town was the main supply of imports and exports, with ferry services travelling to and from Sootapoolis City frequently. It had an array of markets and was generally awash with activity. From time to time, one could find a rare item in the market, such as dragon scales or evolution stones, not that Ash had any need for them at the moment.

Purika City, the largest settlement as the city title suggests, was the capital of the island. Its main attraction was the contest hall which attracted a type of trainer called coordinators far and wide to try their hand at winning at a fabled ribbon. With this it attracted its fair share of tourists, thus the city had a large variety of things to do and had the accommodation to hold it.

Ash doubted that he would be able to visit the city in his time at Izabe Island. The ACE program was surely going to consume all of his time. He wanted to check contests out, they were weird in his eyes, but he wouldn't dismiss the event. The current Hoenn champion of course was also a famous coordinator after all.

No, his time would be spent in the harsh landscapes that encompassed the settlements of the island. He could just about make out Square Top mountain, which dominated the horizon as the league vessel sped across the water. Every wave taken in smoothly by the sleek design. The mountain range was as the Pokedex said, covered in snow. This was quite a strange site given the heat of Hoenn, but Ash didn't question it.

He could just about make out the vast desert, which had a lush forest on its outer edge. This was no doubt where he would be making camp. His assumptions were confirmed when the vessel turned slightly and made way directly to the sandy area, the league vessel was obviously permitted to dock anywhere and not on one of the islands settlements.

Ash steadied himself as land got closer and closer. The league vessel slowed as it readied to dock, and Ash could just about make out a single figure that was stationed to greet him. He thanked the captain in advance, aware that he could be strung into action immediately and strummed the six pokeballs on his belt anxiously.

The league vessel halted to a snail's pace as it neared the sandy shore. Ash was abundantly aware that he was about to get his feet wet as the boat struggled not to hit the sea floor. He nodded to the captain before jumping over the edge and wadding through the shallow sea until he made it to the dry land.

"Ash Ketchum?" The league attendee asked as soon as he set foot on the sand. The middle-aged man was wearing a dark green fitted polo shirt with the Hoenn ACE emblem situated in the top right-hand corner with matching tight-fitting cargo trousers on his legs and suitable footwear to boot. On his belt was 9 pokeballs which showed to Ash he meant business. The man was all lean muscle, not an inch of fat to be seen. Although short in stature the man commanded Ash's respect. He was not to be messed with.

"Yes sir!" Ash responded immediately, adjusting his bag back on his shoulder.

"Come with me, ACE Commander Warren is expecting you!" The ACE trainer responded.

The journey was short and made in complete silence. Ash followed a yard or so behind the ACE trainer, scoping out the surrounding area as he walked, waiting on some sort of attack.

Soon enough, the camp came into view and what a sight it was. Row after row of large sheltered accommodation lined the sandy desert. Barracks as Ash recalled the correct terminology. There was wired fencing surrounding the barracks to make up a perimeter and high towers at each corner to aid patrolling. He didn't see any other defensive set ups probably because any wild Pokemon would tear through it immediately.

Ash thought he seen some Tropius and Swellow flying above the vicinity though. The area more defended than he initially thought.

His attention was diverted back to the ground, were a stream of vehicles passed by, a very unusual site.

Vehicles were mostly prohibited in settlements across the world as they disturbed the wild Pokemon. Both land and air travel were either limited or stopped altogether on most routes, although there was certain exceptions. Ash travelled to Unova by plane being one and obviously military being another.

They reached the front gates and were let in on inspection. Ash continued following the ACE trainer once they were inside the camp. The place was extremely quiet for such a large base. They stopped at a particularly large barrack, where Ash could hear the distinct sound of chatter.

"This is where we part, you will meet your comrades inside before being addressed by ACE Commander Warren. Good Luck!" His short travelling companion said quickly before stepping aside and letting Ash through.

He took a deep breath before stepping inside the building. What hit him first was the sheer volume of people cramped inside the large building. There had to be at least a couple hundred bodies inside the barrack.

What he also quickly noticed was that almost all had on the exact same attire as each other which made Ash gulp and that they had formed friendships hence the loud chatter. The attire was the same as the ACE trainer that had escorted him to the premises except for on the emblem the word trainee was splashed across instead. On closer inspection the uniform was also a lighter shade of green to help differentiate between the two classes.

There was also a very large platform at the front of the building with a microphone front and centre. A few chairs were aligned on the platform also which indicated that more than one person would be on stage.

He was just about to introduce himself to the nearest individual when silence ensued. The platform soon filled up with 8 personnel in indigo file. 5 male and 3 female, all commanded respect with each passing step. They all took their respective seat before a giant of a man stepped onto the make shift stage.

ACE Commander Warren, Ash assumed anyway, was massive. Ash thought silence ensued before but now you could hear a pin drop. The man was wearing a full black uniform, different from everyone else in the room, had a short buzz cut and had the stature that rivalled Lieutenant Surge. He had to be at least 6-foot-8 and was an absolute unit.

The man eyed Ash and the other trainees like they were a bit of meat. Ash squinted and thought he seen 12 pokeballs lining his belt. He bet they were all beasts too. The commander let the silence continue for a few moments more, happy to see some of the trainee's squirm under his gaze before he spoke.

"For those of you that haven't of guessed I am indeed ACE Commander Warren!" The giant of a man boomed, not needing or using the microphone placed on the platform.

"The men and women behind me are also ACE Commanders and they will be your instructors for the duration of your stay. You will address them and myself as _Staff_ at all times. Do I make myself clear?" ACE Commander Warren asked clearly.

"YES STAFF!" Ash declared along with the 200 hundred or so other people.

"For those of you that _arrived_ here on time, you would have received your attire and sleeping arrangements!" The ACE commander continued. "You will have also been instructed on which ACE Commander will lead your sorry ass for a group. For those few that were late, stay behind and wait on instruction."

Ash gulped. That was him for sure. There was a bit of reassurance that he was at least not alone.

"Now, I shouldn't have to highlight this, but war is dangerous. Everything that you go through over the coming months will prepare you for said eventuality. Do I make myself clear?" The ACE continued.

"YES STAFF!" Ash again screamed out amongst the horde of people. He seen a trend coming along.

"You will be put through training missions to simulate the real deal. This includes hostage situations, ambush, poaching, guerrilla warfare and general combat amongst others. You will be put through hell. Some of you will quit and go running back to mommy. Some of you will cry. Some of you will not be strong enough!" ACE Commander Warren said loudly, listing off potential missions like they were cannon fodder while belittling the large group simultaneously.

"But if you succeed, you could be commanded by some of the strongest trainers in the world and one day be commanding some of the strongest trainers in the world!" The commander said, finishing on a positive note before walking off the stage.

Ash felt like ACE Commander Warren was staring right at him when those words were said. He was going to be trained by one of the strongest trainers in the world after all.

There was silence for a while before one of the eight present ACE commanders stood up before taking the microphone. A female this time.

"For those of you that were late on arriving, please stay behind to be addressed. The rest of you are dismissed. Report to your ACE commander by 06:00 tomorrow morning!" She said loudly and clearly.

All but one of the eight ACE commanders were left on stage. The trainees quickly filtered out of the large building until there was only about thirty stragglers left over. Ash was quick to note that none of these trainees had the ACE attire on as well which comforted him somewhat.

He continued to scan his comrades. All but two of them had six pokeballs on their belt. That meant that they had special dispensation to carry extra Pokemon, having achieved something significant to do so. The rest of them either didn't have more than six Pokemon or weren't special enough to allow for extra space. Ash could have more partners on his waist. After winning the Vertress Conference he was allowed up to 12 companions. Maybe he would get to that number one day.

The group was a mix of both male and female and ranged in age from maybe a few years older than himself to the late 20's or early thirties (it was hard to tell). He was certainly the youngest, in his group anyway, a burst of pride swelled up inside him at that revelation. Everyone was physically fit, although some stood out more than others, and all looked prepared, at least on the outside for the trials ahead.

He seen a few people size him up. He was tall and well built, but he still had a young face. He let them, no one in this group intimidated him, that's for sure.

"Finished eyeing each other up?" The ACE commander addressed the group.

Ash eyed the commander closely. He was a male, young to be in such a revered position. Ash was quickly putting two and two together that this would be his ACE Commander and the people surrounding him would be part of the same unit. An initiation on both fronts. Stragglers and a newbie in charge. Not the best combination.

He continued to look the commander up and down. He was definitely a newbie, although that might not be a terrible thing. He must have done something extraordinary to be put in such a position.

He was about the same height as Ash, and of similar build too, maybe a bit more muscle mass. He had the ACE Commander uniform on. A very dark shade of green being the only major difference. Ash reckoned he was in his mid-20's and had short black hair with 10 pokeballs on his belt.

"I take that as a yes!" The ACE Commander continued. "If you hadn't of guessed, you are commonly known as the stragglers for being the last to arrive, cannon fodder which no one wants!"

"I am ACE Commander James and I will be your instructor for the coming months. Do NOT let me down. Do I make myself clear?"

"YES STAFF!" the 30 or so individuals said in unison.

"Good! Now if you are to pass this course, you will obey my every command. Now get your shit and head off to Barracks H. I will address you at 06:00 exactly on your first instruction!" ACE Commander James finished, highlighting an area to the left which had an array of attire and bags before leaving the building.

Ash quickly jogged over to get his attire. It was all labelled per individual size and stripped off to get changed. It looked like he had 5 pairs of everything and a state-of-the-art rucksack to go with it.

Others quickly followed suit by stripping off and changing into trainee uniform. Both male and female were down to their bare clothing, and as you can imagine they were eying each other up. Ash even caught a couple of the woman eying his younger body which made him in turn linger a little longer than was required.

To get back on focus, he quickly opened up the rucksack and found a PokeNav inside. Ash marvelled at the sleek design, unable to believe that the military would hand out such devices to trainees. He was going to buy one later on but getting one for free was always better. He imagined it was for contact between one another in case of emergency.

A few others also found the same product and there was a bit of commotion at the pleasant surprise. Fiddling with the device he found out that there was one contact saved, ACE Commander James. His previous theory stacked up then.

Ash gathered the rest of his belongings before flinging it into the rucksack. He quickly followed the rest of his unit quietly and made his way to barracks H, lingering at the back and already feeling like an outsider for being last to arrive.

The unit made short work of finding barracks H and made their way inside the building. What hit Ash first was that it was very basic. The building was long and narrow with very little in it. 16 single beds lined each side of the barrack with a makeshift corridor the only walkway. A single box was assigned to each individual with their name on it, it looked like people wouldn't be choosing their own beds anyway.

Ash wandered the corridor looking for his name, eventually finding it near the top of the building on the left-hand side. Quickly dumping his rucksack and neatly putting away his spare clothing in his designated box. Ash took off his boots which relaxed him somewhat before placing them in the same box. He lay on his bed, shifting his pillow so it was upright before taking out both his PokeNav and Pokedex as the rest of his unit placed there stuff accordingly.

He started playing with the PokeNav first, seeing what features there were. A map, match call, built in Pokegear and a contest section were the main features, and all were accessible on Ash's device. The Hoenn ACE obviously hadn't deemed it unacceptable to disable any of the features, that was for sure. He opted against phoning his mother, believing that such a call would be social suicide on his first night in camp, instead he opened his Pokedex and began exploring the native Hoenn Pokemon.

After a little while he felt someone hit his leg which broke his gaze from studying Claydol, a dual ground psychic type which was also part of his teacher Steven's team.

He looked up to see a woman, a few years older than himself, looking at him expectantly. She was around 5-foot-8, relatively tall for a female. She had shoulder length blonde hair. A few strands curled around her face. Ash could make a faint outline of a few small scars across her cheeks which gave her harder features. They softened after a second as Ash continued analysing her. She, like the rest of his unit, didn't have an inch of fat on her body, or Ash assumed anyway. It was difficult to tell in the ACE uniform after all. Lastly Ash eyed the six pokeballs that lay on her waist, intrigued by what lay inside them.

"Yes!" Ash stated after a few moments, waiting on the female to say something.

"The rest of the group are introducing each other. Thought it best if you joined in too, you know?" The woman replied, not unkindly.

Ash nodded before looking to his right. He could see a rough circle shape outlining his comrades. All of them were there except for Ash and the woman. He got up from his bed, socks hitting off the wooden floor softly, and made his way over to the large group, who made space for him.

He was mistaken about everyone else being in the circle as one of his comrades excitedly came into the barracks blurting out the toilet facilities.

"It's unisex toilets!" the man said with a large grin on his face. Ash couldn't help but chuckle himself at the childish behaviour and by the laughter he wasn't the only one. He had already guessed that anyway, makes people more equal. Still, it would take some getting used to.

"Yes Charlie, we are all very aware of the situation, now pull up a pew, we are making introductions!" Another man said, looking to take the role of leader of unit H. He was a few years older than Ash, probably his early 20's and had striking shaggy green hair with relatively soft features. He was maybe a couple inches taller than Ash, around 6-foot-2 but had a slighter build. He held an air of confidence though. Ash was happy with him taking the lead, at least for the moment, although he did seem rather posh (not that Ash was discriminating).

"Anyway, I thought it best if we introduced each other. It looks like we are all going to be on the same team, so we need to know one another. Make sense?" The man continued.

Ash nodded along with the rest of unit H. It did make sense. He needed to know everyone's teams, their strengths and weaknesses and how skilled they were.

That's exactly what the man speaking proposed which made Ash smile. At least one other person was on the same wavelength as he was.

"So, I propose we go around in a circle. Introduce yourself, were you're from, your highest competitive finish in either a conference or grand festival or whatever applies for you and what Pokemon are on your team. We need to know each other's strengths and weaknesses so best to grab your PokeNav and take note of each other. Sound good?"

Ash nodded again to the man. He wouldn't have said it any better. He was very intrigued at how everybody shaped up and also how they would react to his announcement that he was a conference champion. Heck, maybe a few of them had even competed in the Vertress Conference.

"I'll start things off!" The man continued. "My name is Vito Winstrate. I'm from just north of Mauville City and my best finish was coming top 8 in the Ever Grande Conference. The team I have on me consist of Alakazam, Swellow, Shiftry, Electrode, Swalot and Darmanitan."

Very quick. That was Ash's initial thoughts as he typed Vito's information into his PokeNav. Well all of Vito's team except Swalot that was. It would be there for a reason though. From his finishing position Ash guessed that he would be on similar level to Gary although he had no doubt his friend and rival would soon be ahead if he kept up his training.

Vito definitely could hit hard and fast. Not the most durable team he had seen though. Still, it would be an asset for unit H.

This exercise continued around the circle. A few more people introduced themselves, one of the two people with 8 pokeballs being before Ash. That person, Robert, had actually won the Hoenn Grand Festival. His team seemed quite remarkable too, with a Milotic and Claydol being the main focal points. For a second Ash suspected he wasn't the only one that would be getting special training after this.

He was next, a small pit of Butterfree's had entered his stomach at the thought of speaking in front of a relatively large group before he gulped them down.

"My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm from Pallet Town in Kanto. My only finish is winning the Vertress Conference and my team consists of Lucario, Magnezone, Excadrill, Aggron, Skarmory and Bisharp!"

Ash exhaled as he got his turn over with. He looked up from the floor and seen literally everyone staring at him which made him burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, questioning the stares after a while.

"You're so young?" Vito spoke up, a hint of dejection in his voice before he masked it.

"And?" Ash replied. He didn't get a response from Vito. From the looks of things, he wasn't the only one trying to hide the fact that a 16-year-old had achieved something in one year that they hadn't in ten.

To break the silence, the woman that hit his leg earlier and spoke up to introduce herself. It worked too as people were quick to jot down notes again on their respective PokeNav's.

She was called Brooke and like Vito was originally from Mauville City. She had an interesting team too with a Roserade and Lapras being the two that stood out most.

The other person with 8 pokeballs was far less interesting than Robert. Ash really had no idea how she deserved such an accolade, but he was sure that he would find out soon enough.

"Right." Vito spoke up after everyone had made introductions. "Quite a team guys. I'm sure we will have no problem creaming the other 7 units. Especially with conference and grand festival champions in the heart of it. I guess we should get some sleep. ACE Commander James will probably run us ragged in one way or another tomorrow!"

Ash nodded along with the result of the unit, aware that a few eyes were on him again. He made his way to his bed, lying on it and resuming looking at the Hoenn Pokemon on his Pokedex. He stopped on Milotic. He wanted to know everything about the majestic beast. By the looks of things, he had the closest thing to an equal in Robert and wanted to be prepared if he ever had to battle the Grand Festival Champion.

Sleep soon took over, not before Ash set an alarm for 05:00. He wanted to shower and be as ready as possible for the day ahead.

XxXxXx

Ash was ready. He had showered, found a breakfast facility to eat which was practically empty, was clothed and was currently sat on his bed waiting for ACE Commander James to burst in at any moment. Most of the unit was up and dressed, although two or three were frantically trying to put boots on.

At exactly 06:00 ACE Commander James briskly came into the barracks, gave the place a once over before flying into a rage.

"Trainees, by your station!" He started. Quickly all 30 or so trainees jumped to the edge of their beds, standing as straight as possible awaiting inspection.

"What a fucking state this place is!" ACE Commander James yelled as he walked up the makeshift corridor before stopping at one poor soul who was still struggling to put their boots on. "Did I or did I not say be ready for 06:00 trainee?"

"Yes Staff!" Said trainee replied. Ash couldn't quite remember his name as he watched the young man get chewed out.

"And why are you not ready trainee?" the Commander shot back calmly, too calmly.

"…" The trainee didn't have a response to that question.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again, do I make myself clear?" The commander replied for him, spinning to address the whole unit.

"YES STAFF!" Everyone replied in unison.

"Follow me, single file, do not forget your rucksacks!" The Commander stated and soon everyone was jogging to keep up with him.

Ash took a moment to look around. All 8 units were jogging in single file behind their designated commander. Soon all 8 squads had left the wired perimeter and were making their way towards the lush forest that Ash had spotted on his travels into Izabe Island. It had to be at least 10 miles to the edge of the forest, quite a trek in the desert climate.

Ash smiled. That would be no problem for him. Being competent in aura had many blessings after all. A few of his comrades looked to be realising their fate as well and the reactions were mixed to say the least.

It took about an hour and a half to reach the destination. The surface making it more difficult to get a footing and the sand weighing people down slowing the process. Some people weren't as fit as Ash initially thought. There was at least 5 people in his own unit that had their hands on their knees, panting in the process, struggling to breath with many more in the adjacent units in equally bad situations.

ACE Commander James and his fellow leaders stepped forward to make a line of 8 as some people continued to get their breath back. ACE Commander Warren appeared from a tent that Ash had not spotted and joined the other commanders, looking at the site in front of him with distain. He patrolled the area like a savage Umbreon before addressing the trainees

"Your mission is to get from one side of the forest in front of you to the evac point which is situated at the end. There will be Pokemon ambushing you and groups of ACE trainers will be situated throughout. Decide in your unit what your plan is. Success is getting as many of you through as possible. Do I make myself clear?" ACE Commander Warren belted out.

"YES STAFF!" All of the trainees screamed in unison. All apparent ills breathlessness forgotten about, replaced by giddiness and nerves of their first mission.

"You have five minutes to prepare, once you have no usable Pokemon, return to this position!" The commander finished before returning to his tent.

Ash turned around to face his group, quickly huddling into the makeshift circle as Vito began to speak, continuing in his role of team leader.

"Right guys, this is what we have been waiting for. I suggest, unless anyone objects, that we split into groups of four. Try and match up with trainers who have a different skill set to you, so your team is well rounded!"

It was a solid plan and gave everyone an equal of succeeding. It was probably the best solution at short notice. If they had more time Ash would have kept everyone as a single unit with physical speedsters at the front to head of any attack and defensive walls protecting the trainers from capture. He could at least emulate that on an individual level, although he wouldn't release Ferrothorn as they needed to keep up a good pace.

Ash ended up teaming up with both Brooke and Vito as well as another girl called Hope who he vaguely remembered had a Froslass.

They made their way to the edge of the forest before releasing their respective teams. Ash released everyone. There was a bunch of excitable grunts and whirs as his team said their hellos.

"Right guys, we need to make our way through the forest in front of you. As practiced, Lucario at the front, Skarmory to the sky, take out anything you see. Excadrill, hold off on digging until you know the enemy, there will be a lot of innocent parties around. Aggron and Magnezone, you're with me. Bisharp, change of plan, your also with me to disperse ghosts and psychics. Understood?"

He got another round of grunts and whirs as confirmation. His team meant business. His 3 allies followed suit, giving instructions to the members they let out. Ash noticed that Vito had let out almost his full team of 6 except for Swellow who he suspected would be let out later to scout. the girls had let out 3 Pokemon each, obviously having less Pokemon suited to a forest landscape with Lapras being a prime example.

Everyone nodded to each other before setting foot inside the forest. The first thing that hit Ash was the insectoid noise from the trees. He looked up to see the whole skyline covered by branches and dense leafage. In front of him was a mass of vegetation and not a great deal of room to manoeuvre, especially stealthily. It reminded him of Pinwheel Forest.

He could hear the distinct sound of Pokemon battle to his right, although when he looked in said direction, he couldn't see it through treeline. They continued to walk forward with their Pokemon when an explosion coursed through the group and everyone fell to the ground. Ash looked up to see his and his comrades Pokemon under attack.

He quickly shot up, annoyed that Vito's Alakazam didn't find the Pokemon or device in time to stop the explosion and started barking commands. His team was relatively unscathed. Only Lucario taking any sort of damage from the explosion. Clearly the others were too far away.

Vito didn't get off so lucky. Both Alakazam and Electrode were returned while his Darmanitan had entered zen mode. Only Swalot and remained by his side, although Shiftry was about somewhere, this was its home after all.

He seen more red stasis as Hope returned one of her team while Brooke only had Roserade out. That explosion had done a number. It had to be more than one Pokemon, but where did it come from.

"Treat everyone in front of us as the enemy, Lucario, use your Aura to search for Pokemon and humans, Excadrill dig underground and report back to me when you find anything. Everyone else wait!" Ash continued to bark out, not willing to risk moving forward without a report.

Vito released Swellow and he sent him to scout. Ash didn't think it was a bright idea. The Swellow didn't have a lot of manoeuvrability inside the forest and could be taken out pretty easily. Skarmory was about for attacks, not doe scouting.

Lucario gestured to Ash that he was finished with his scan. They had been together long enough to get communications across with gestures and appropriate questioning. There were several Pokemon up in the trees to north west and north east. No Pokemon were on the ground. There was an open clearing a few hundred metres ahead where three humans patrolled. Excadrill came back shortly after to confirm what Lucario said, adding that there were two further clearances ahead.

Ash pointed to the trees, explaining to the others what he had just been told. Vito whistled Shiftry down to show its new targets.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Ash stated to his starter. It was his most accurate move. He watched as Lucario fired Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere at the trees. It created an almighty buzz and several Ninjask made themselves visible for the first. It also gave Ash his first targets.

"Bisharp, Lucario and Magnezone engage!" Ash barked out, getting his team to meet the Ninjask head on. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Vito's Shiftry jumping from the tress onto one of the Ninjask and that Brook's Roserade was preparing an attack. He could also here Hope barking orders. That Froslass would sure come in useful.

Pokemon met Pokemon in a collision course with quality overcoming quantity. Lucario and Magnezone decimated the Ninjask with long range attacks while Bisharp cut them down when they got close enough.

Soon enough the unit cleared the first hurdle and began to advance on the clearing. Ash was still aware that he hadn't come across the Pokemon that had made the initial explosion but both Lucario and Excadrill had told him the coast was clear.

They regrouped at the edge of the clearing, well aware that they would have to go through the three trainers in front of them. Brook released her Lapras for extra cover but Hope still only had her Froslass out.

The three trainers, aware that they finally had company, released fifteen Pokemon. six Mightyena, three Linoone, three Shiftry and three Vigoroth.

Easy pickings, Ash thought. He was about to press forward when he spotted three Golbat hiding in the trees behind the trainers. More problematic but Ash didn't voice his concern just yet in case they moved. Hopefully Skarmory could take them.

"Let's just press them. We should be able to get through this. I've got enough speed to get a couple of hits in!" Vito declared confidently. He still had Shiftry, Swellow and Swalot out. Ash must have missed him returning Darmanitan.

"Okay!" Ash replied, focused. As soon as they started forward the three Golbat began to swoop down. That was Skarmory's call and it bore down on the poison types and tore one of them out of the sky with his talons while Magnezone's Thunderbolt made quick work of the other two Golbat before they were returned.

Ash's team were in the thick of the action. Lucario making light work of the dark types, Close Combat and Aura Sphere being particularly effective. He was aided by Bisharp and Brook's Roserade in taking out most of the Pokemon very quickly. Excadrill dug into the clearing before using Drill Run into a sole Linoone and starting on another before Shiftry put it to the sword. Froslass was spewing Ice at the Vigoroth to slow their halt where Lapras then aided it with its own Ice Beams from the defensive perimeter As Ash and the unit watched on.

Two Vigoroth broke through the initial onslaught and made their way towards the group. Aggron nobbily stepped forward, horns and claws at the ready to jab at his foes. It wasn't needed as Hope's Froslass sped forward with icy energy and ploughed two twin ice beams into the Vigoroth, more than stunning them before Vito's Swalot finished them off with Sludge Bomb's.

The Rest of the enemies Pokemon had fallen since and the group was largely in tack. Ash's Pokemon had very little injuries bar a few scratches and bruises, Magnezone being the worst off.

Ash couldn't see Vito's Swellow. He assumed it must have been to injured to carry on. His Shiftry wasn't faring much better, already looking to be on its last legs. It must have been entangled with one of its fellow brethren. He only had two viable Pokemon left.

Brook's returned her Lapras as Ash examined her Roserade. It was still in good shape at least, and she still had Lapras to protect her, even if it was largely immobile on land.

Hope's Froslass seemed exhausted but Ash could only see superficial injuries. It should be able to continue. Surely, she had more Pokemon that was suited to this landscape. He voiced this concern shortly after.

"I'm an ice type trainer!" She replied. "Most of my team are like Brook's Lapras, immobile, plus the heat doesn't suit them. My only other suitable member is Sneasel, but he and Froslass don't work well together. I'll release him once she can take no more!" She finished; a bit peeved off by sounding weak.

That made sense, Ash guessed anyway. So other than him there was five, maybe six friends to fight off the next attacks. There odds weren't looking great.

The unit regrouped at the far end of the clearance. They were aware from Excadrill's report that there was two further clearances ahead, probably lined with at least one trainer each. They also expected an ambush in the forest path in between but Lucario couldn't feel any movement.

The coast seemed clear. The unit moved silently through the forest, Pokemon in tow following suit. They got to the edge of the next clearing swiftly enough and could see two ACE trainers waiting patiently. No Pokemon were visible but Lucario communicated to Ash that he could feel them hidden in the trees. Ash was really beginning to appreciate that aspect of Lucario. Apparently, no foe could stay invisible to one and Ash's Lucario was proving that fact to be correct.

He voiced that to the unit, and they began formulating a plan. Vito spoke up first, returning to his role of leader.

"We need to be smart. There aren't many Pokemon left on our side. I think we should bait them into ambushing us. It would allow us to get a read on what Pokemon they have and how strong they are. The thing is who should be bait?"

That was a smart plan, if not risky. It definitely had flaws though. Would the trainers engage with their full force or use just the required amount? Which Pokemon would be bait? Ash had an idea of using Aggron but would a Pokemon on its last legs be better? Whatever Pokemon was used would definitely faint. The two girls had the same thoughts, but all the other ideas were poorer.

It was decided that Aggron and Froslass would step forward, with the rest of the Pokemon making a semi-circle perimeter. That left Magnezone, Lapras and Swalot to protect the unit if they got breached.

Ash had a sneaky suspicion that the ACE trainers were told not to advance and engage because they were still doing nothing. Just waiting patiently. Their heads snapped towards the forms of Froslass and Aggron as they made their way to the centre of the clearing. Ash could see movement in the trees and a lone a Heracross stepped forward into the clearing. Just as the Pokemon were about to engage, a huge Aura Sphere flew past Ash and into a _something_ not 20 feet behind him and the three humans.

They had been duped.

The Heracross, using the distraction, fired off a Bullet Seed at the baited pair as chaos ensued. Ash turned around to see that Lucario's Aura Sphere had connected with a Magneton that was beginning to pull itself up from the ground as the Pokemon that made the perimeter rushed to their human friends.

Twin Golem appeared from beneath the surface in front of the rising Magneton with two Flygon flanking the three some. They started firing off attacks at the Pokemon surrounding the humans. Magnezone, Swalot and Lapras taking extreme punishment in the process.

Ash shouted a command to Magnezone to press the closing group of Pokemon as Hope released her Sneasel. Hopefully Lapras and Swalot would be sufficient in protecting the group before the cavalry arrived.

A Shedinja was released by one of the ACE trainers into the centre of the clearing once Hope's Froslass fell to the Heracross. Clearly it was more exhausted than Ash initially thought. Aggron was left with a two against one. The Heracross was going to take up all of its time with Shedinja free to strike willingly. She couldn't dodge the Heracross and target the Shedinja at the same.

Fuck Ash thought, He needed Lucario or Bisharp ASAP. Where were they.

He looked around again to see that they had been engaged in attack by the remaining Pokemon of the ACE trainers. Clearly, they hadn't released them all before the attack.

Ash's four Pokemon along Vito's Shiftry and Brook's Roserade were fighting side by side against five foes. Two Exploud, a Manectric, Pinsir and Zangoose were engaged with Ash and his comrades Pokemon.

He was screaming for Lucario or Bisharp to take care of the Shedinja, but he needn't worry. The fight soon spilled into the clearing where Aggron and his foes became part of one fight.

Ash turned his attention back to Magnezone and the approaching enemy. His Pokemon had done well. Taking down both Golem and the Magneton with Hope's Sneasel's help, but with the initial volley he and the team were on the last legs. The Flygon were closing in, firing on Swalot and Lapras who were retaliating in vain, exhausted by the wave after wave of attack and missing the mark.

One of the Flygon broke through, but it was intercepted by Excadrill mid-flight and the two rolled across the vegetation, hitting each other with close ranged attacks.

This was a complete mess. The last Flygon had been taken down by a combination of Skarmory, Swalot, Lapras and Sneasel but had come at a cost. They were all exhausted. Ash promptly returned the Armor Bird Pokemon, noticing that the others were doing the same. Ash turned to Hope, and realisation hit her face that she had to return to the start line. She wasn't the only one as Brook returned her fallen Roserade as the fight continued. It looked like the Shedinja was taken care of somehow, but the Heracross was still standing along with Aggron, both battered and bruised. A Psycho Cut put an end to that from Bisharp who along with Lucario, Magnezone and Vito's Shiftry had taken care of the ACE Trainer's cavalry.

They had won. Just.

The end product was a devastated clearing with exhausted Pokemon everywhere. Excadrill was in a heap with a Flygon on top of her. Both were promptly returned. Red lights were frequently flitting through the forest as more and more Pokemon were returned. Magnezone sagged before falling to the floor. Vito's Shiftry was absorbed in a red light as well.

All that was left was Lucario, Bisharp and a battered Aggron who looked to Ash with steel in her eyes. Ash looked at her before nodding. She wasn't done yet.

Ash looked to his comrades with a hard gaze before advancing alone to the next phase. He turned around to see the two ACE trainers accompanying his unit back to the start. Turning back round he nodded to his three Pokemon before retuning Aggron to her ball.

Taking a deep breath to recuperate and think, Ash looked towards Lucario to scan the forest once again for foes. Again, there were none.

Taking his time, Ash, with Lucario and Bisharp in tow made their way to the last clearance before stopping. He could see one single ACE trainer some two hundred feet away with her full team of six out one hundred feet closer. All fully evolved and formidable. Lucario confirmed that there were no traps but behind her, some further two hundred feet away, there was the finish line.

They advanced on the clearing. Lucario and Bisharp providing cover as Ash threw Aggron's pokeball as far and high as he could, right into the middle of the ACE trainers team.

She knew what to do.

As soon as she formed, an explosion of monumental effect took place, taking Ash off his feet in the process.

Aggron had used a bastardsised version of Heavy Slam, taking out herself and incapacitating the entirety of the ACE trainers team in the process. What was left was seven downed Pokemon inside a massive crater all struggling to move.

Ash smiled ah walked to the centre of the clearing. He looked down on Aggron before returning her fondly.

He nodded to the ACE trainer before walking through the forest and to the finish line, both Lucario and Bisharp a couple of steps behind.

The scene that greeted him was one of surprise. The eight ACE Commanders were in a line with ACE Commander Warren at the head. Five others were waiting one of which was Robert from his Barracks. They were all at ease, lying on the ground or with a Pokemon. All were exhausted.

He walked up to the ACE Commanders, saluting once he got close enough.

"Well done trainee on passing the first test!" ACE Commander Warren said loudly.

"Thank you, Staff!" Ash replied tiredly, finishing the salute.

"Your prize is to watch as your other 250 comrades get beasted!" ACE Commander Warren finished with a smile.

Ash nodded before falling to the ground and returning Lucario and Bisharp to rest. This would be fun.


End file.
